Asymmetric symmetry in Tigrinya object marking

Abstract This chapter argues that, despite initial appearances, Tigrinya (Ethio-Semitic, Eritrea and Northern Ethiopia; SOV) is an asymmetric object language that employs two distinct ditransitive frames. It is argued that these frames are obscured by a surface ambiguity, but are reliably betrayed by the observed object-marking patterns. This analysis provides a way of understanding some unexpected optionality of object marking in ditransitive constructions. It also correctly predicts that various interpretive and structural asymmetries correlate with the observed object-marking pattern. Object marking in Tigrinya, which shows surface symmetry but deep asymmetry, therefore serves a cautionary role in the classification of languages as either symmetric or asymmetric.